Mud Season

Skip, Story, and I just got back from an awesome family vacation to Breckenridge, Colorado. It was kind of surreal, seeing as how we've been planning this trip for over a year, and my mom said a year ago, "Story will be about 7 months by then, you'll need a vacation." And then that prediction came true! Story was 7 months and I did need a vacation!

So, of course CO was beautiful. I'd never been before, but an aunt and uncle of mine lived there for several years, and one of my best friends did too, so I'd heard it was incredible, but to actually experience it was a whole other kind of incredible. Skip and I got to hand Story off to all kinds of willing babysitters and sleep in and lounge around and take a long bike ride. Incredible.

Unfortunately, we were there during the in-between season called "Mud Season" where lots of places were only open on the weekends and we didn't realize it until the weekend was over. This caused us to miss out on some amazingly huge cookies and delicious wheat beer (that we were finally able to track down after a couple tries). Eating is important to us. Otherwise the trip was a huge success.

But now, I am experiencing my own Mud Season. I have the post-vacation blues really bad. Seriously. Taking care of Story is no problem, but having to make dinner? Going to work? Living in a house that isn't spotless because someone came in a cleaned it for me? Ugh. It's been almost a week, and I only just now feel like I'm finally snapping out of it. 

I would much rather be here...

Mum's Day

It was awesome. I have to say, the coolest part of Mother's Day weekend was going to Skip's mom's church and getting a corsage. All the moms there were allowed to take a corsage, just a simple carnation with baby's breath and a leaf, and my mother-in-law told me to pick one out and then pinned it on my shirt. It was pretty cool.

The emotions and memories that come from the different stages of becoming a mom and a parent for the first time are kind of overwhelming at times. While I kind of hated pregnancy, I do have to admit that it really was such a special time and I get kind of jealous of other women who are pregnant with their first. While I could have done without the unsolicited advice and the bags and bags of baby clothes people gave me to sort through, I love looking back at that time and I get kind of sentimental at the thought of never being able to go through it again.

Same thing with my first Mother's Day. It made me feel really great for people to wish me a happy day, and it was neat to finally understand and appreciate what telling someone "Happy Mother's Day!" can mean to them.

Fun.

I am kind of anti-fun. Hear me out, because it's not entirely my fault. Mostly, I hate change. Hear me out. Generally, when something fun comes up, it means a change from my normal routine, and this stresses me out. I only partly blame my mom (kidding, Mom!). When we were kids, we were on a pretty regular routine. I understand this now, because even with one kid it helps to have a this-is-the-way-things-run-on-a-daily-basis thing going; it helps minimize the chaos. My mom had 3 kids and was a stay-at-homer until we were in junior high, so I totally respect her need for a schedule. Plus, you read everywhere that kids function better when they know what to expect, so fine. A schedule it is.

Mother's Day is this weekend, and I am super excited, but I've had to really amp myself up. My husband has a day planned for us on Saturday, and we will spend Sunday with The Moms. Usually, Saturday is my husband's day to sleep in while I take care of Story, and then on Sunday I get to sleep in while he takes her. I'm assuming that since Saturday is technically my Mother's Day, I will get to sleep in. Change number one. Number two, I won't get up and do laundry and try to get some degree of cleanliness in our house. Number three, I will kind of be the center of attention instead. I hate being the center of attention.

I guess I am not so much anti-fun as I am anti-change, which makes it hard for me to enjoy fun. I don't really like surprises, and I'm really bad at being any kind of focal point.

...Ok fine, I'm anti-fun. But I'm really trying!